365days2play Fun, Food & Family

Il Lido has always been etched in my mind as a really top notch restaurant, not least thanks to my ex-boss, who so favoured dining at Il Lido for business lunches and special occasions, so much so that the staff remember his special requests. In fact, I partook in one of those special occasions, the boss’s birthday(!), and that eventually became my 1st ever food review on 365days2play!  (In case you are wondering, that was way back in 2008, and I subsequently resurrected the blog again in mid 2010.)

Back in those days, Il Lido had these colourful plastic chairs, and my 1st impression upon stepping through the front door was “You must be JOKING. My boss finds this place ATAS?” The food and service quickly changed my mind. I was glad to find that in my recent visit in January 2012 that they’d gotten rid of those unbecoming chairs. They still have those chairs at the al fresco area, which I think is more appropriate given that it is outdoors.

Looks quite fine, don’t you think?

So in late Jan 2012, thanks to a DBS birthday treat coupon which gave us a 50% discount, we were able to sample the delights at Il Lido again. Actually, it’s not terribly expensive to dine at Il Lido. Mains are about $35 – $60. Appetisers are about $20 and desserts are in excess of $10. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a big eater, so I almost never order an appetiser and dessert all on my own. Set lunches/dinners are different as the restaurants kind of scale down the size of the food anyway. And of course, for buffets, I bring my other stomach, you know the bigger capacity one.

Back in January, they were having this wonderful weekend set lunch menu, which comprised of FIVE appetisers and FIVE mains, FOUR desserts and coffee/tea for $68+++. I mean seriously, is this a good deal or what??? The portions are all smaller than usual, but still, the total amount was sizable. I really love menus like these. I don’t know about you, but I have the perpetual problem of not knowing what to order. Usually it’s because there are so many attractive dishes I want to order, rather than the lack of something interesting.

So….presenting the appetisers! Portions are for 2 pax

Goose Liver

Octopus Terrine

Parma Ham

Caprese

Calamari

Phew, 5 appetisers man! All of them were super delicious. My personal favourite was obviously the foie gras. Just can’t go wrong with that. Also loved the texture of the octopus terrine. Don’t believe I’ve ever had an octopus terrine before and I really loved the bouncy feel. The Calamari also had a nice bouncy texture and didn’t taste oily at all. Parma Ham and rock melon was another winning combination. In fact, for a cheese lover like me, the caprese was the least outstanding, which goes to show how good the other appetisers were.

Next up, the Main Courses. Portions are for 2 pax.

Read more »